Fun fact: CBC Montreal's Canada Now nightly newscast aired the film the same day I shot and edited it after I "cold" called them and showed them a copy. They told me it was the first time they'd ever shown a complete short film on their newscast.

The film was also shown in 2010 up on a big outdoor screen at the NDG Off The Wall Film Festival which took place 250 feet from the Sherbrooke/Old Orchard sidewalk where the film was shot.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

If you like Yiddish, food, or out-of-left-field short comedy web series, you should check out the first instalment of YidLife Crisis by my buddies Eli Batalion and Jamie Elman. It's a 4-part series with episodes being rolled out leading up to Christmas.

Friday, March 28, 2014

This one has Urban Bonfire's Ryan Bloom taking a stock Kamado Joe grill out on the road and challenging award-winning Blackstrap BBQ "Pitmaster" Dylan Kier to a flame-filled duel to see if his famous steaks, ribs and pork roasts come out as well on the "Joe" as with his prized, industrial-grade hickory smokers.

Please watch the video to find out and thanks for sharing it with your food-lover friends.

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Spring is here and warm outdoor time is (~hopefully~) right around the corner up here in Montreal and out where you are.

Cool news to share... I was asked by an old friend, Ryan Bloom (co-owner of the exquisite Rustique Pie Kitchen), to direct two short films for his brand new venture, Urban Bonfire, located right next door to Rustique on Notre-Dame West in St-Henri.

Ryan describes Urban Bonfire like this: "Our goal is to work with people and their spaces to maximize both the economic and experiential elements of every rooftop, balcony, backyard, deck or country home they want to bring to life."

Urban Bonfire will not only sell you a sweet barbecue, they'll also take your backyard and whip it into an oasis for family & friends. For Ryan and Urban Bonfire partner/designer Stefan Marchant, everything revolves around "Celebrating Outdoor Gathering Spaces".

And that's exactly what we went for in the two videos we created for their gorgeous new shop.

Please watch the first video, Meet Urban Bonfire, which just launched on the store's website and on YouTube. It features music by among others, another old friend, Dylan Silverstein, and was deftly edited by Rebecca Lessard.

If you enjoy the video, feel free to share with a friend who may need a barbecue, some grilling accessories, or even a spruced-up backyard. There's even a bbq promo on now at the shop too.

The 2nd video, in which I follow Ryan and a barbecue to Verdun's beloved Blackstrap BBQ, will launch next week. I'll share that with you then.

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Took this wet daisy pic over the summer after an overnight rainstorm. Now it's Fall and we're on our 11th straight day of sun in Montreal.

In spite of government shutdowns, debt ceilings, innumerable wars, radiation-filled oceans, and all the other swirling, whirling and twirling chaos around us, it's nice to know there's still sun, rain and purty flowers.

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Mazel tov! After a decades-long ban, hemp, aka the non-psychoactive sister of marijuana, is now legal to farm again in California.

Hemp can be used to make everything from food, fuel, fibre, fabric, paper, paint, pretzels, plastic, soap, rope, concrete and coats... And a lot, lot more.

From this SF Bay Guardian article: "The California Industrial Hemp Farming Act (SB 566) was signed into law on Wednesday by Gov. Jerry Brown, after years of deliberation dating back to 1999, a process that included multiple gubernatorial vetoes. The freshly signed law will allow approved California residents to grow hemp for industrial purposes by reclassifying the once-felonious plant as a "fiber or oilseed crop."

Right on, California!

Ez

Update: There is one big caveat to all this... Federal approval. Here's more on that from the Huffington Post.

About

Ezra Soiferman is a Montreal-based artist with a few cameras and a bunch of ideas. He shoots documentary films, does street photography, and shares some of the best of it via the Ez Sez Blog .

If you want to say hello, would like to purchase a copy of a film of his, if you’ve found a photo you absolutely must have up on a wall, or if you want to offer one as a present, drop a note to ezrasoif at gmail dot com.

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For those of you of the Facebook persuasion...

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Ezra is the Director and Co-Founder of the Montreal Film Group, a 2500+ member film and TV industry networking group.

From May 2007 to June 2010, Ezra created and served as the director of CinemaSpace, the 77-seat (first in the world with hemp upholstered movie theatre seats), HD, surround-sound film screening room at Montreal's Segal Centre for Performing Arts.

Ezra co-produced Film Pop 2007, the film festival section of Pop Montreal International Music Festival.

PRESSURE DROP (1994, NYU thesis film, 20+ Film Festivals)

For More Peace...

Slogan and drawing by Ezra on September 12, 2001. As featured on Woody Harrelson's VoiceYourself.com. Ezra met him in NY a few years later and Woody said "Start Art, Not War... I like that!" View full size drawing.

"Bear With Me"

Photo by Max Beer, 2003

Ez with David Suzuki, 2005.

Ez with Scott Thompson (Kids In The Hall) and a hemp cookie.

Alpacas In Alpaca Hats - Official Ez Sez Mascots

Peru, 2004; concept and pix by Ezra Soiferman. Click here to learn why these guys are the Ez Sez mascots.

Recordings

Ezra writes and records country-folk music whenever there's a free moment. Stay tuned for new songs coming soon... a collaboration with his old friend Dylan Silverstein.

"Self-Portrait with alpaca hat and a bag of free snacks at a swanky airport lounge"